Arts & Entertainment
Out & About: June 15
Drag exhibit in Alexandria, bachelor auction in Rehoboth and more in D.C., Baltimore and beyond
Eligible bachelors up for auction in Rehoboth
CAMP Rehoboth hosts its annual Boys of Summer Bachelor Auction at the Aqua Grill (37 Baltimore Ave. Rehoboth Beach, Del.) on Saturday from 5-7 p.m. Guests can bid on Rehoboth’s finest bachelors and all proceeds benefit the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.
CAMP Rehoboth is a nonprofit community service organization dedicated to fostering more harmonious relations among the different communities of Rehoboth Beach.
Bachelor Auction attendees can first mingle with the bachelors at the Meet-The-Bachelors Preview Party hosted by Universal Gear (46 Baltimore Ave. Rehoboth Beach, Del.) from 5:30-7 p.m. on Friday. Refreshments are served.
Winning bidders at the auction on Saturday receive dinner for two at a popular Rehoboth restaurant. Admission is free. For more information, visit CAMPRehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620.
Montgomery College Pride to host consortium
Montgomery College Pride and Allies hosts a consortium dubbed LGBTQ Advocacy on Our Campuses on June 22 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at Montgomery College (Health Sciences Building 7977 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring, Md.).
Campus faculty, staff, administrators and LGBT activists will discuss how to promote LGBT acceptance by sharing their own experiences and strategies. Luke Jensen, Director of LGBTQ Equity Office at University of Maryland at College Park, will be the keynote speaker.
Refreshments will be provided. Registration is free but required to attend the event. Email [email protected] to register. Visit montgomerycollege.edu/tphome for more details.
'It Just Landed On My Head,' a work by Louise Noakes honoring drag queens. (Image courtesy Noakes)
Photography exhibit pays tribute to drag performers
“Tribute to the Queens,” an art exhibit with pieces by mixed-media photographer Louise Noakes, will be featured in the Multiple Exposures Gallery of the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria (105 Union St. #312 Alexandria, Va.) starting Monday and running through July 29.
Noakes was inspired to start this project two years ago after taking a photograph at a drag brunch she attended with her 17-year-old daughter. Instead of just leaving the photographs as they are, she reduces them to more solid colors, producing what she calls “Pop Queen” art.
Many of the prints in the exhibit are available for purchase. For details, visit louisenoakes.com or call 703-634-5857.
California Dreams Ball benefits Project LINQ
The Baltimore Chapter of Pinklady and the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Project LINQ host a California Dreams Ball in celebration of Baltimore Gay Pride on Saturday from 6-9 p.m.
Project LINQ, a community-based and youth-focused program, provides STD and HIV-prevention education, free confidential STD community-based testing, LGBT and minority youth programs and education services that provide HIV testing for smaller to moderate-sized groups.
The California Dreams Ball will focus on unity among LGBT community members and the prevention of HIV throughout Baltimore. It’s free and open to the public and will include non-profit organization tabling with information. The event will be held at 1030 Morton St. in Baltimore within the parking lot.
For more details, visit umaryland.edu or call 410-706-4162.
Marylanders for Marriage Equality to host reception
Marylanders for Marriage Equality hosts a reception with the LGBT Caucus of the Maryland General Assembly on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. at City Café (1001 Cathedral St. Baltimore).
Marylanders for Marriage Equality is a coalition of organizers, including the NAACP-Baltimore Chapter and Equality Maryland, among many others, that works for civil marriage rights in Maryland.
Tickets to the reception are $75 for guests, $1,000 for hosts and $2,000 for sponsors. To RSVP, contact Sophia Silbergeld at 410-547-8884 or [email protected].
For more information on the reception, visit equalitymaryland.org.
Bonnie Raitt performs live at Pier Six Pavillion
Bonnie Raitt performs Sunday night with Mavis Staples at Pier Six Pavilion (731 Eastern Ave. Baltimore). Gates open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30.
Raitt has won nine Grammys and was named one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” by Rolling Stone. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Her new album “Slipstream” is her first in seven years and is her first independent release.
Tickets range from $30-75 and can be purchased online at piersixpavillion.com.
Santigold performs at Rams Head Live
Santigold performs at Rams Head Live (20 Market Place Baltimore) on Tuesday night with Theophilus London. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the concert is open to all ages.
Santi White is the charismatic frontwoman of Santigold. John Hill, a member of the ska-punk band Stiffed, helps White produce her sound. Santigold is a mix of punk, reggae, grime and indie rock influences, along with tribal island rhythms.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased from ramsheadlive.com.
Fairfax City Pride was held at the Sherwood Center (3740 Blenheim Blvd., Fairfax, Va.) on Saturday, June 6.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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D.C. prepares to party as Pride celebrations kick off Saturday
Bars, clubs have busy lineups; Pride on the Pier returns
Capital Pride’s date change isn’t slowing down the festivities. Back in December, the Capital Pride Alliance shifted the calendar for Pride celebrations in the nation’s capital from the second weekend of June to two weeks later to the weekend of June 20-21 to not conflict with President Trump’s birthday and 250th anniversary of America celebrations, with the aim that “our community can gather safely and without unnecessary barriers… We are protecting our space and preserving Pride as a powerful act of visibility, solidarity, and resistance.”
On the heels of WorldPride last year, the city shows no sign of slowing down. Instead, restaurants, bars, clubs, and neighborhoods are taking the opportunity to be even more visible. The Blade has put together a (non-comprehensive) list of parties, activations, and activities across town:
Pride on the Pier returns on Saturday, June 13 to the Wharf on the Southwest waterfront. The event, sponsored and hosted by the Washington Blade, is free and runs from 4-9 p.m. There will be vendors, DJs, and drag performances all day. VIP tickets are $25 and come with air conditioned party room, private bathrooms, and free cocktail. More details at prideonthepierdc.com.
Capital Pride Official Opening Party: RIOT! is the official opening dance party of Capital Pride, taking place Friday June 19, 9 PM-3AM. The 2026 edition headlining performer is Myki Meeks, a finalist of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 18; Bob The Drag Queen will perform a special set. DMV-area DJs and performers include: Bambi, Baphomette, Bumper, Cake Pop!, Connor, DJ Ed Bailey, DJ Diyanna Monet, Evry Pleasure, Jakknife Complex, Mari Con Carne, Pussy Noir, WessTheDJ. Trade owner Ed Bailey is producing the event.
Kinetic Presents brings the heat across the entirety of Pride weekend as well. It again is partnering with Capital Pride Alliance to produce four events over four days this Pride, including the Official Main Event on Saturday (the Friday official event is at Echostage). Kinetic’s parties are splayed across various D.C. venues, with special performances, massive productions, shirtless dancers, play zones, dance-forward audio and visuals, and international DJ talent. Thursday, June 18 at 10 PM at District Eagle is Lust, with music by Dan Slater and TOMI. Friday, June 19 at 10 PM is UNCUT XXL Heavy Load, at A.i. Warehouse in Union Market District, with music by Alex Acosta, Felipe Lira & Mitch Ferrino; the party is a “high-octane night of muscular house and tribal rhythms.” Saturday, June 20 at 10 PM brings that official main event, Kinetic Toy Land, at Echostage, with music by GSP & Matt Suave. Alaska Thunderfuck headlines. Sunday evening June 21 at 10 PM closes with discoVERS at SAX. A portion of tickets supports the DC LGBTQ+ community through Capital Pride Alliance.
9:30 Club always comes in clutch for the LGBTQ community. Already in June, it produced Kitty Kat Ball on June 7, and Kiesza performed on June 8. On June 20 at 10 PM, the famed Mixtape party hits the stage, care of gay DJs Shea van Horn and Matt Bailer, who have spun together for coming up on two decades. Mixtape has been held at several venues across the city over those years, and now settled on 9:30 Club for Pride. On June 25 at 7 PM, Big Freedia – the bounce artist from New Orleans – hits the 9:30 Club scene for the eighth time, as part of the Big Freedom Tour.
Crush: New this year from the 14th Street bar is the Pride Pop-Up, sitting pretty in the parking lot at 1820 14th St., N.W., at the corner of Swann Street by the start of the Pride Parade route. Hours are Friday from 2-10 PM and Saturday from 12-10 PM. Friday evening features Grizzly Bear Happy Hour, a DJ will set up shop on Saturday, and for those needing another layer, there’s a Crush merch store. Co-owner Mark Rutstein “has always wanted to throw a party in that parking lot, so he did,” said co-owner Stephen Rutgers. Note that Crush (the bar) will have a cover on Friday and Saturday.
Kiki: Over at Kiki, there’s a full slate of Pride-themed programming all week. Tuesday, June 16 at 9 PM brings karaoke; Wednesday, June 17 at 7:30 PM is trivia; Thursday June 18 at 9PM is “Night of 1000 Tatianna’s Drag Show”, and Friday June 19 at 9 PM brings the Juneteenth Serve Drag Show. Saturday, June 20 at 10 PM, post-parade, is a Pride Dance Party with DJ Lemz. Sunday daytime at 5 PM is the Father Figures Daddy Issues Special Drag Show; and after the festival at 8 PM, DJ Tezrah hits the tapes.
Jane Jane: Right along the parade route, gay-owned Jane Jane has transformed its space into a “No Kings, Yas Queens” activation in a direct response to the America 250th commemorations happening downtown, from the colorful window installation, to merch (including a custom bandana and tank) to disco wig installations. Events include industry night on Mondays, donations to LGBTQ charities, and to-go cocktails during the Pride Parade.
Shaw’s Tavern: Gay-owned Shaw’s Tavern on Florida Avenue celebrates Pride week with a full lineup of themed events, entertainment, and specials, including Pride trivia on Monday, June 15 at 7:30 PM, bingo on Tuesday, June 16 at 8 PM, a cabaret on Thursday, June 18 at 9 PM, Juneteenth Drag Brunch on Friday, June 19 at 12:30 PM, and both a pre-parade brunch (10 AM-4 PM) and post-parade party (5-9 PM) on Saturday, June 20. Sunday, June 21 at 7 PM brings Mama’s Sunday Supper & Drag Pride Show in the evening for anyone who is still awake.
Trade: This classic has a weekend of events, starting on Thursday, with Tiburon Pride Edition, a Latin Dance party in the Shark Tank. On Friday, the bar opens early (at 2 PM), with all-day happy hour and the Jx&Evry Show. On Saturday, the bar opens at noon, offering a prime parade viewing spot from its windows. There will be the CLASH drag show hosted by Tatianna and Crimsyn, and Sweet Spot party that night. On Sunday, the bar opens for normal hours at 2 PM, with DJs Adam K, Alex Love, and WESSTHEDJ.
Pitchers: The multi-level bar in Adams Morgan is hosting a Pride-themed show on Thursday, June 18 at 10 PM, with drawstring bag giveaways – the only kind of bag that will be allowed into the bar during Pride weekend. The show features drag queen Kyle Sonique Love.
Barrel House Cafe and Bar: Also by the parade route on 14th Street, Barrel House Cafe takes advantage of its large patio to have a slate of events during Pride week, including Schism, a drag and burlesque show on June 18 at 10 PM, as well as an all-day Pride party coinciding on parade day.
Bunker: Bunker again plays host to a series of afters. Friday night (Saturday 3:30 AM) is Unhinged, and Saturday night (Sunday 3:30AM) is Unholy. The regular Saturday night party (10 PM) brings in Venetian and Tiara Missou. All parties have cover charges.
District Eagle: Beyond the Kinetic party on Friday, June 19 brings Gear Night at 10 PM; Saturday, June 20 at 10 PM is LOBO presents PRISM, and Sunday, June 21 is Sundaze wit Papi at 6 PM.
African Art Museum: On Thursday, June 18 at 5 PM, this Smithsonian museum is hosting a free event with artists and curators celebrating its exhibit, “Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art,” “based on years of close collaboration and dialogue with African visual art practitioners who claim belonging in the LGBTQ+ community, however they define those terms,” according to the museum.
KNEAD Hospitality & Design: The gay-owned KNEAD restaurant group (including spots like Gatsby, Mi Vida, Succotash The Grill) is featuring the GLITTERATI cocktail, made with Tito’s, St-Germain Elderflower, Butterfly Flower, ginger, and yes, glitter. A portion of proceeds from every Glitterati cocktail sold will benefit The Trevor Project. The cocktail will be sold throughout June.
The Fountain Inn is partnering with Rhodium spirits (Rhode Island’s first LGBTQ+ owned distillery) all month, making cocktails like gimlets and espresso martinis featuring Rhodium’s liquors. Proceeds benefit SMYAL, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ youth.
Hard Rock Cafe: Hard Rock DC is taking part in the chain’s annual “LOVE OUT LOUD” campaign, with Pride merch, specials on June 20, and a donation to The Trevor Project.
The D.C. Front Runners held the 14th annual 5K Pride Run at Congressional Cemetery on Saturday, June 6.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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